Rotary hearse-table.



No. 657,639. Patented Sept. ||,\|900. M. &. G. E. BRESTLE.

ROTARY HEAnsl-z TABLE.

(Application led my 8-`l 1900.)

UNiTED f STATEs PATENT OFFICE..

MICHAEL BRESTLE AND GEORGE EDWARDBRES'ILE, OF MIDDLETOWN, PENNSYLVANIA.

ROTARY HEARsE-TABLE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 657,639, dated September 1 1. 1900. Application viiliedllilay 8, 1900. Serial No. 15,3 95. (No modeh) To all whom, t may concern.-

Be it known that we, MICHAEL BREsTLE and GEORGE EDWARD BREsTLE, citizens of the United States, residing at Middletown, in the county of Dauphin and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Rotary IIearse-Tables;

and we do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

The invention relates to rotary hearse-tables intended to be placed in a hearse or other conveyance to receive cofns or casket-s.

The object of the invention is to provide a simple, durable, and inexpensive table of this character which may be readily placed in a hearse now in general use and which will facilitate the introduction and removal of a coffin or casket from the hearse andlessen to a minimum the labor involved in handling the corpse.

Vith this object in view the invention consists in certain features of construction and combination of parts, which will be hereinafter fully set forth.

In the accompanying drawings, in which we have illustrated the preferred embodiment of our invention, Figure 1 is a perspective view of the complete table. Fig. 2 is a similar View of the endless apron and its supporting-frame. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view through Fig. 1. Fig. et is a fragmentary View illustrating in detail one of the locking-levers for preventing the movement of the apron. Fig. 5 is a detail perspective of two of the slatlinks and antifriction-roller,

posed of the slats 9, the ends of which are connected flexibly together by links 10, the pivots ll of which carry antifrict-ion-rollers 12, which travel upon the edges of the side pieces of the apron-frame. The slats project a slight distance above the top 4 and are pref erably provided with prongs or equivalent means for preventing the lateral shift-ing of the casket when supported by said table.

13 denotes a roller supported at the forward end of the table or at that end which first receives the casket. This roller sustains the weight of the casketin placing itin the hearse until the casket has come in contact with the endless apron. This roller is preferably journaled in a board 14, secured to the forward end of the table, and below the board is a compartment or box 15, having a door 16. Into this compartment is adapted to be placed the tools or appurtenances used by the funeral directors.

17 'denotes the locking-levers, each of which is suitably pivoted to a side piece 2 of the table and has one end formed with a notch 18, adapted to receive a stud 19, projecting laterally from each link, the opposite end of which lever projects under the board at the forward end of the table and is provided with a stud 20, which projects upward through a curved slot 2l, formed in said board. The walls around this slot are counter-sunk, so as to enable a person to engage the studand operate it and yet allow the stud to remain below or flush with the upper surface of the board, so as not to interfere with the introduction of the casketinto or its removal from the hearse.

When the central portion of a slat is opposite the notched end of the lever, which is indicated by a suitable mark on the upper edge of the side pieces of the table, the forward ends of the levers are spread apart, thus moving their inner ends toward each other and into engagement with the studs of the slat. In this position the apron is locked against movement. To release the apron and permit of its movement, the forward ends of the levers are moved in an opposite direction, which releases their rear ends from the links and permits of a free movement of the apron.

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with the accompanyi'ng'drawings, the construction, operation, and advantages of the invention will readily be understood without requiring an extended explanation. The device may be adapted to any of the forms of hearses now in use, andy by its ernployment the introduction of the casket into and its removal from a hearse very materially lessens the labor and difficulty.

While We have shown and described the preferred embodiment of our invention, We would have it distinctly understood thatwe reserve to ourselves the right to make such changes iu the construction aswould suggest themselves to an ordinary mechanic or as may y be read'into the appended claim.

Having` thus describedandascertained.the j nature ot' the said invention, what we claim Said frame and provided with rollers to engage andridealong the edges of said frame,

`:a roller mounted at the advance end of the body portion, and looking-levers for locking @the apron against movement.

In testimony whereof We have hereunto set our hands in presence of two Subscribingr wit- MICHAEL BRESTLE. GEORGE EDWARD BRESTLE.

Witnesses:

C. BVE-RISMAN, P. ET-TfER IRWIN. 

